Letter jacket let down for students

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OKLAHOMA CITY - Parents, if your kid has ever earned a letter jacket, you know how important that can be.

However, some metro students paid for their jackets and never received them.

Late night practices, competitions and finally, Westmoore High School Senior Paige Ratliff was going to get her letter jacket.

"I was super excited," she said. "I get my letterman and I waited until I was a Senior to be able to purchase it."

So she went to Monograms and More and paid nearly $300 for the jacket.

It never arrived and the owner who sold it to her then sold the entire store to someone else.

"I feel betrayed," Ratliff said.

She's not alone.

The store's new owner, Joi Tipton, took over Tuesday.

She said since then, she's learned 21 students paid the previous owner, Charles Goar, for letter jackets and never received them.

"It is a big deal when you call somebody and you find out the person who purchased these jackets for them is passed away," Tipton said. "This is more than a jacket and they're prideful and I think that's what tugs on me."

Tipton said documents show Goar ordered jackets but never paid the tab that went with the order and it was canceled.

"There's money that has been paid down but I don't have the money, I don't know where the money is," Tipton said.

So News Channel 4 called Goar to find out where the students' money went.

He said the order was canceled because he didn't pay the bill to the letter jacket manufacturer.

He wouldn't go on camera but sent us a statement which said in part, if there are other students who haven't received their jackets, he will make sure they receive their deposit money back.

He also implied the new owner should be responsible for making sure the students get their jackets.

Meanwhile, out of the goodness of her heart, Tipton is working to come up with the money for reorders.

"This means something to these kids and it means something more than a letter jacket," Tipton said.